Q1 Please share your name, and what and where you teach. When you answer question 1 (Q1), please start with A1 so we can follow questions and answers throughout the hour. And don’t forget #ELLCHAT
Q1 Please share your name, and what and where you teach. When you answer question 1 (Q1), please start with A1 so we can follow questions and answers throughout the hour. And don’t forget #ELLCHAT
A1: Dorina from the Florida Georgia line. I empower teachers thru listening to #ELL perceptions of teachers’ teaching and create individualized PD to drive instruction. ;-) #ELLChat
Q1 Please share your name, and what and where you teach. When you answer question 1 (Q1), please start with A1 so we can follow questions and answers throughout the hour. And don’t forget #ELLCHAT
A1 I”m Karen Nemeth, co-host of #ELLCHAT and I’m an author/consultant focusing on early childhood ELLs/DLLs. Our usual co-host, @Judiehaynes is away tonight, but our other helpful co-host is here to support the chat. Thanks, Shaeley @HSeslteacher
A1 I”m Karen Nemeth, co-host of #ELLCHAT and I’m an author/consultant focusing on early childhood ELLs/DLLs. Our usual co-host, @Judiehaynes is away tonight, but our other helpful co-host is here to support the chat. Thanks, Shaeley @HSeslteacher
A2: My biggest struggle is to get students to treat ESOL as anything more than a study hall. It's been difficult getting them to do work. My Ss struggle with talking out of turn and being disruptive on purpose. #ellchat
A.1 Louise El Yaafouri, Refugee & Immigrant/ESL consultant @RefugeeClassroom and author. (The Newcomer Student, The Newcomer Fieldbook). Former teacher of refugee newcomers, life long learner! Glad to be here! :) #ELLCHAT
What does the research say about the typical time it takes for a beginning-level English learner to be reclassified as English proficient? Here’s what our #AskAREL librarian found: https://t.co/lzrNcacroZ#ELLchat#ESL#ELL
A2: Sooo from the mouths of teachers....not me.... “Dorina, my most challenging Ss are the Ss from Puerto Rico ... I just can’t get them to respect me, they don’t stop talking to each other, the joke too much in Spanish, they come in after the Bell and refuse to work!” #ELLChat
A2. I don’t want to say misbehavior because I don’t like the negative connotation - however, beginner ELLs might seem distracted or disengaged if they are not being supported or if they are in the early stages of acquisition, for example culture shock. #ELLchat
A1: Mirna Jope from Sacramento, CA. Teaching #ELs in 9-13th at a public HS that has...challenges....supporting/accommodating those who stole academically. #ELLCHAT
A.2 Culturally misalignments can be at the root of many "challenging" behaviors (i.e., eye contact, adherence to time, co-ed learning, roles of parents in education). Trauma, food scarcity and health can also get in the way of positive school engagement. #ELLCHAT
A1) I'm Jayme Carruthers and I teach ECSE in Lenox, Iowa. Up until recently I've been teaching ELL so its still very near and dear to my heart. ♡ (Actually, for the time being I sort of teach both...) #ELLChat
A2 - I find some students find it hard to adjust to a system where extrinsic motivators are neither encouraged nor relied on. Also, because learning a language is a skill, it's not as important how well you do on a test. Some kids can interpret all this as free license. #ellchat
A2) Another challenge is related to older students that are in school because "the immigration judge told me". Some of them are in school to socialize, not caring about academics. #Ellchat
A2: Biggest challenges I see are “defensive talking” meaning “I don’t get it so I’m gonna be difficult.” Also, typical teenage attitude, tardiness, and the worst...the “caste system” of Spanish speakers that KILLS ME! #ELLChat
A2 I wonder if there is a cluster of friends who happen to be from Puerto Rico - that might be addressed with just some relationship building strategies that the teacher might not have tried yet? #ELLCHAT
A2: Sooo from the mouths of teachers....not me.... “Dorina, my most challenging Ss are the Ss from Puerto Rico ... I just can’t get them to respect me, they don’t stop talking to each other, the joke too much in Spanish, they come in after the Bell and refuse to work!” #ELLChat
A2: I agree that "challenging behaviors" cast it in a negative light when there are likely many other explanations for what is happening. Ts interpret behaviors based on our expectations. #ELLChat
A2: Most challenging is getting some to focus & take school seriously. Too tempting to socialize in the safe environment if the #ELL classroom when so intimidated by native speaking ease in other classes.#ELLCHAT
A2 Some challenging behaviors my students have are talking all at once without waiting turns or listening to each other, play fighting in class, and being too exhausted from work to participate in the lesson #ELLCHAT
Great honest answer! What is the format of your class? Is it a course with a curric?I find when #ELL#ESOL courses lack curric &even “a big book to follow” Ss don’t see it as a course. We changed our #ELD course 2reflect a text book...as crazy as that is, it’s WORKING! #ELLChat
Yes. In my experience working with refugees, the most challenging students I have seen, have been that way because of trauma and some types of PTSD. Sadly, not many school counselors are aware of the challenges newcomers bring with them. #ellchat
A2 Recently, the world of preschool in Head Start has started saying “behaviors that challenge us” to shift focus away from child and more toward teacher behaviors that can be adjusted. How do you like that idea? #ELLCHAT
A2: I agree that "challenging behaviors" cast it in a negative light when there are likely many other explanations for what is happening. Ts interpret behaviors based on our expectations. #ELLChat
A2: I was about to post that for many of my students,it is hard to understand the large amount of academic language in their classes. They’re comfortable with the social language and therefore use it more to connect and participate. #ELLChat
Q3) How can teachers distinguish challenging behaviors that are temporary reactions to language differences from those that indicate possible developmental delay or learning disability? #ELLCHAT
My ELL program doesn't have a curriculum of any kind either. :( Which definitely has some students acting like it's a study hall and also leaves me at a loss sometimes. #ELLChat
A2: More & more, I view attendance issues as a symptom rather than the problem. Often there are other reasons underlying poor attendance, IMHO. #ELLChat
A3: I would say both. There is a lag in getting students properly placed into EL. Not uncommon for a whole semester to be lost. On the other hand, have had extreme difficulty getting students removed whose CUM folder CLEARLY show that they are not ELs. Frustrating!! #ELLCHAT
We use iLit, which is a good curriculum; however, I think not having a big book is an issue. They have trouble seeing how everything is connected. My Ss really don't see it as a course. What textbook are you using? #ellchat
DON’T forget - we help all participants follow the conversation by marking every tweet on tonight’s #ELLCHAT with an answer number matching the question number that you respond to. A1 for Q1. Thank you!
A3) I just sat through a #PD on this today! (He was also at #IowaCLC18 last week for those who were there). The Critical Data process for #ELs is fascinating. Best PD I've had in a while.
#ELLChat
A3. I try to talk w/ the family to find out if the student behavior occurred often in their native country or if the student demonstrates certain behaviors or challenges while using the L1. I don’t know if this is the best way, but it gives me as an educator more insight #ELLchat
A2: Staying focused and on task is a huge challenge! When took a Thai course at a college, it was all drill and kill. I noticed myself getting off task, tuning out the teacher, playing with my phone, etc. because I was so bored. I could only image what S's must feel. #ellchat
A3- Getting to know your kids. Track track track progress. Clear communication between all stakeholders involved. Documenting growth/challenges/strategies/interventions so next year teacher doesn't have to dig around for info #ELLCHAT
A3) One of my biggest take-aways from both #IowaCLC18 and today was that disabilities don't just go away if you use another language. So if it's happening in BOTH languages, that's a sign it may be a delay/disability.
#ELLChat
A3) First and foremost, we need to really know our students. Seeing how they interact with others on the hallway, cafeteria, or other common areas can give us a greater perspective on their challenging behavior. #Ellchat
A3: I think teachers need to assess, as best they can, how students perform in their native language. So look at the whole child. There is more to the picture than what we see in the classroom. #ELLCHAT
A1: jumping in late and lurking. Dean of Students and ESL Director in Marlborough, MA. My wife is @YahairaMFrier and she’s an ESL Teacher and Admin in Lawrence. #ELLChat
A2 Learned helplessness! Ss feel like just bc they don’t know the language (yet) they can take a back seat in learning. Giving them tools and strategies that can be applied across content has been my remedy! #ELLChat
A.3. It is never too early to begin diligently observing and recording student behaviors and implementing meaningful interventions. One of the most impactful (and most overlooked) avenues are teacher home visits, especially with regard tout newcomers. Get on in there! #ELLCHAT
A2 I think this is a good point. Just because WE know they need to learn our content doesn’t mean the students can see it’s worth all that effort. It’s not laziness - just natural that you don’t want to struggle to do something that’s not your idea of interesting! #ELLCHAT
A2 Learned helplessness! Ss feel like just bc they don’t know the language (yet) they can take a back seat in learning. Giving them tools and strategies that can be applied across content has been my remedy! #ELLChat
A3 Tough question! I’d start with small group tutoring to lower the affective filter. Then I’d closely monitor w formal and informal data collection and compare w other Ss at similar ELD. #ELLChat
A3: Document, data, conferencing, looming at Ss work and ACCES Scores, talking /communicating with other teachers, know history with Survey (I can share it you’d like) , observation protocols can help decipher... #ELLCHAT
A3 One of the toughest things about teaching DLLs/ELLs at any age is we don’t have good screening or assessment in all languages, so if you can’t assess in both languages, you don’t really know if it’s disability or different lang! #ELLCHAT We need more work on this!
A2. Not asking questions or seeking out help from Ts, sometimes because they do not know what questions to ask, or how to word it. Also, over-reliance on GoogleTranslate to get work done when feeling the pressure. (Any advice for how to teach use of GoogleTranslate?) #ellchat
A3) Building relationships and getting to know your Ss is one of the fastest ways to make initial observations and get information. Also, having an ally with school counselors can be very helpful. #ellchat
It's often translated as "misbehavior", but a lot of the time it stems from language barriers. I really discourage T's jumping right to defiance, learning disabilities, etc. without looking at the big picture. #ellchat
This was a learning opportunity for us this year with a student from East Asia. His other school had different expectations, so we had to work on practicing routines explicitly. #ellchat
A4 One thing I try to keep in mind from early childhood special ed expert/author @PamBrillante “Behavior is a form of communication”. What is the child trying to tell us? What can we learn about classroom environment or teacher behavior from “hearing” child’s message? #ELLCHAT
#ELLChat According to Ss: South American Uruguay is #1, Puerto Rican #2, Dominican El Salvador, Guatemala #3s, Mexican... bottom. It is disgusting...but it is “hidden” and you see it... no matter how “nice” the Ss r, it’s a cultural & linguistic bias in this area of Florida. 😡
Haha! Had answered wrong week's Q3.
Best way to be able to differentiate would be to track progress or lack of it. Build in routines like dictations and fluency recordings. I have an interactive journal that we work in almost daily as well.
#ELLCHAT
A4 This is a good reminder that a child’s behavior can serve as a mirror for us to reflect on teacher behavior and we can make adjustments accordingly …. if we’re open to it! #ELLCHAT
This was a learning opportunity for us this year with a student from East Asia. His other school had different expectations, so we had to work on practicing routines explicitly. #ellchat
Oh no, the "us vs. them" mentality. I'm trying to be more intentional with calling this out. It's unacceptable to be talking this way about students. #ellchat
Q2) Also, students from different cultures are not always used to sitting for long periods of time. We need to allow opportunities for movement within the classroom. This can be challenging for mainstream teachers. #ELLCHAT
A4- Tough... sometimes time, change of "scenery" can give info. How does the student act in different environments? Tracking and communication between all stakeholders is so key here #ELLCHAT
A4: My default is language development issues cause learning & attention issues. That's why Ts must use strategies to make info comprehensible for ELs! #ELLChat
EXACTLY!! And since this #ELLChat is about behavior challenges...there is no question this impacts behavior. Another bad one? Being labeled “a gringo” for speaking English well. It’s a disaster when it isn’t addressed and with new Ts, instinct to address it doesn’t kick in...yet.
A4: That's really difficult. I think Ts can also be quick to view behavior issues as indicative of learning/attention issues or lang development issues when, in fact, it's more about what stage they are at in adolescent development. #ellchat
Exactly.... it drives me insane. Hence the reason I’m doing Culturally Responsive LEARNING with #ELL : Call it Student Prof Dev! It’s tough but talking in circles and discussing the WHY of it is helping us make progress. Incremental is monumental. ;-) #ELLChat
A3: This is where students home language comes in to play. If available, a translator can gain a more in depth understanding of why a student is frustrated. Also, pictures are a great way to communicate without words. #ellchat
Q3) How can teachers distinguish challenging behaviors that are temporary reactions to language differences from those that indicate possible developmental delay or learning disability? #ELLCHAT
A4 - remember we have a lot of followers who are not here now and they will read through the chat later and have no idea who is answering what without the answer numbers. @jan_anglade@kruu_justin#ELLCHAT
Exactly.... it drives me insane. Hence the reason I’m doing Culturally Responsive LEARNING with #ELL : Call it Student Prof Dev! It’s tough but talking in circles and discussing the WHY of it is helping us make progress. Incremental is monumental. ;-) #ELLChat
A4) Having a general idea of the Ss' backgrounds will provide us with a deeper understanding of their behaviors. Are they literate in their L1? How long they have been on school? Interrupted schooling? Behavior outside school? #Ellchat
A3: This is where students home language comes in to play. If available, a translator can gain a more in depth understanding of why a student is frustrated. Also, pictures are a great way to communicate without words. #ellchat
Q3) How can teachers distinguish challenging behaviors that are temporary reactions to language differences from those that indicate possible developmental delay or learning disability? #ELLCHAT
A2: Is that on the students or the educators? Would you say this is a lack of schools being welcoming spaces where Ss have relationships with adults? #ELLChat
A4: this is a lot easier than many think...TOTALLY isolated. It’s@all about intrinsic motivation taught & inspired by the T as their extrinsic motivator.
When they work, they work. When they don’t they don’t. When they have behavioral challenges, they can still work... #ELLChat
A4: I prefer to call in the experts when I suspect it's beyond my talents. However, there is a frustrating lack of energy or agency on the part of those who would diagnose. "Are you sure you want to label them?” HELL YEAH I DO if it gets them the support they need!!! #ELLCHAT
A curriculum helps with keeping things consistent. We're working on adopting an ELA curriculum for the elementary school, so hopefully that'll streamline processes a bit more. Consistency really helps with behavior management! #ellchat
In reply to
@MrsC_ECSE, @2014FloridaTOY, @MizTupperware
A5 Here’s a book that is in 4th edition because it has been successful at including cultural perspective on Challenging Behavior in Young Children https://t.co/2dkdhHYEb6#ELLCHAT
A5 Are the behaviors a result of boredom? How can I make my lessons more engaging and include movement? Do I have a solid relationship with the students who are misbehaving? Can I use that relationship to inspire a change of behavior? #ELLCHAT
A4- Are students able to more effectively express themselves and and actively participate using language supports and scaffolds? If these strategies (used intentionally and consistently) are to student growth, it is certainly time to look deeper. #ELLCHAT
Q3) Look for an article by Janette Klingner In Partnership with the NYC Division of English Language Learners and Student Support describing these differences. Sorry I can't find the exact url. #ELLCHAT
A5- who are my students? Who am I? What do I believe a classroom should look and sound like? What do I believe a student should be in my classroom? #ELLCHAT
A4) piggybacking on your answer- has there been any trauma in their lives? Often families don’t realize that we can help them find supports for them! #ellchat
A4: done this before but wanted to share again: they need to talk with me about this: and this let’s you know if it’s language or behavioral...they tell you when they conference w u! #ELLChat
A5) How would I feel if I randomly had to move to a whole new country with a new language, new norms, new everything? Would I possibly want to act out like this too?
#ELLChat
A5 I agree! I once had a tchr ask me how to make his ELL students listen more because he tried to get them to memorize a list of terms and they were not paying attention- and I said “try saying something more interesting!” #ELLCHAT
A5 Are the behaviors a result of boredom? How can I make my lessons more engaging and include movement? Do I have a solid relationship with the students who are misbehaving? Can I use that relationship to inspire a change of behavior? #ELLCHAT
A5: Am I drawing an informed conclusion about the challenging behaviors? Are these behaviors the result of circumstances outside the school setting? Am I leveraging strategies for engagement that combat disruptive behavior? #ELLChat
A5 How can I make my lesson multimodal? Which Ss do I need to check-in with/ warm call first? Do I need to rearrange seats? How will I balance teacher talk vs student talk? How can I help my students feel successful? #ELLchat
A5) Is Ss also challenging in the other classes? How is the Ss' behavior on common areas of school? Am I being fair with the Ss? Are there any preconceptions/bias that I'm unaware?#Ellchat
A5: I’m loving all the questions and the responses to A5: every teacher is realizing that the responsibility is on them and truly getting down to knowing the student #ELLChat It’s just getting content area teachers who don’t have #ELL like we do in #ESOL classes to buy in.
A4: Collaboration between myself (ELD) and Student Support. Students who aren't showing progress with language scaffolds may need intervention with student support. We look at their academic grades and literacy in their first language before making a plan. #ellchat
A5: have I made expectations clear? Have I modeled what is expected? Are my transitions tight? Does each student feel valued in the classroom? #ELLchat
A4) Or even if they know we can help find supports, in some cultures asking for help with trauma or mental illness is seen as extremely shameful, so they might not want to ask anyway.
A5: How can I squash the behavior without squashing the kid's enthusiasm or drive?
Also, have to ask myself if I'm just being grumpy...been known to happen. "Is this REALLY a problem or just bugging me right now?" is what I have to think of first sometines. #ELLCHAT
A5 How can I use more authentic inclusion of students’ interests to get them more engaged in learning the content and skills I think are important? (teachers always have choices) #ELLCHAT
A5: Do I understand the cultural context of the student’s challenging behavior? How important is relationship building to the student’s active engagement in my classroom? #ELLChat
A5: Very true. Though I do fear where education as entertainment has gotten us in certain regards. Sometimes it's good to be bored lol. This article talks about how it teaches adolescents the value of perseverance. #ellchathttps://t.co/aqXGxX798t
A5) I 100% agree. We all need to take a step back sometimes and ask ourselves if all is right in our mind first. Is this really worth being upset over or annoyed by? #ELLChat
A5: How can I squash the behavior without squashing the kid's enthusiasm or drive?
Also, have to ask myself if I'm just being grumpy...been known to happen. "Is this REALLY a problem or just bugging me right now?" is what I have to think of first sometines. #ELLCHAT
A.5. What is THE most important thing? What else is noise? Can I identify the nuts-and-bolts of the instructional content at hand? Can students identify their jobs and crack out their toolboxes? Let the rest go. It will be there waiting when learners are ready for it! #ELLCHAT
Younger, under...BECAUSE WHEN TESTED NO ONE SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE(S). How can you honestly give a professional analysis if they don’t speak the heritage language of the student being tested?? #ELLChat#Frustrating
A6: I think it depends on Grade level- I think 3-5gr maybe get over identified, 6-10gr under identified. I think our k-5 Ts have too little time to work with kids and make sure gaps are filled early. 6-10gr we run out of time to figure out if it is disability or language #ELLchat
A6 When districts tell me they don’t evaluate young ELLs/DLLs because they want to give them time… I ask how they’d feel if their own child needed services or medicine and someone put it off for a year to “give them time” #ELLCHAT
A6: About right. Sadly had a S put in ILS & so wasn't able to qualify for a diploma even though developmentally capable, all bc they didn't have a Dari interpreter for initial eval. Now site has an autistic S who is increasingly frustrated by communication difficulties. #ELLCHAT
A6 I feel like the fear of place a young child in special ed might come from a fear that your special ed program might not be very good - if it’s really good, it won’t hurt for a short time while getting to know student’s needs? #ELLCHAT
A6) Yes! I've previously worked in districts who had the mind frame of "It takes 5-7 years to learn a language" (Which is true!) so they won't even test for SPED until the child has been struggling for years. :( #ELLChat
